INTER-PROVINCIAL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume II, Issue 101, 15 January 1870, Page 6

INTER-PROVINCIAL.

Human Bones Found. — During the week some human bones have been cast ashore on the beach to the north of Timaru. — January 8. The accounts which from time to time reach us from Wellington are of a most deplorable character. In a private letter which was shown to us by a gentleman the other day he remarks :— "• Things are positively awful down here. Everybody is hard up ; nobody pays anybody, except in honest cases by slow instalments, and everybody who can clear out does clear out. WTien I remark to a friend that I have flat seen Tom, Dick, or Harry during the lasi; few days, the invariable reply is, ' O,h ! he has skedaddled and gone off to. Auckland.' " Another private fetter, says :-—'•' Things are going to the deuce here; everybody is either §°i n g 'ta Auckland 9* to, $c devil."

Findlay,a (general Government official, told us the other day that he knew every employe of the Goyernment would willingly consent to a large reduction of salary if the seat of Government were only removed to Auckland, and they were thereby enabled to shift their quarters ; and they would also defray all travelling expenses out of their own pockets to get away. These are very strong expressions of opinion, and there is no doubt that Wellington, at the present moment, is in a very bad state. There is no business doing to speak of; wholesale merchants keep open th?ir establishments merely as a matter of form, and await the advent of better days, meantime living on the gains of the past ; while retailers buy from hand to mouth. But Wellington is only temporarily depressed, she has turned the corner, and will do well by-and-by. The opening of the Manawatu Block for settlement, and the gradual development of local industries, will yet, we trust, avert that hopeless bankruptcy with which that unhappy province has hitherto been threatened. — "Hokitika Star."

Population of the Thames. — The editor of the " Thames Advertiser," in reply to a correspondent, says the population of the Thames may be estimated at between 15,000 and 20,000.

Taueoa. — The " Wanganui Evening Herald" says that "when Tauroa was sentenced to hard labour he suffered from the pangs a high-caste Brahmin would feel if told that he would be required to eat daily a certain amount of fat. Tauroa feels that his dignity and Eangatiraship would depart if he had to work like his people, and he accordingly represented his cass to the Government. His plaint was attentively listened to and his request granted, and he is now ganger and overseer, in which capacity he is zealous and indefatigable in seeing that every man does his portion of labour properly. He saves the prison authorities a great amount of trouble, as they have only to make their wishes known to the chief and they are immediately complied with. We have here the strange spectacle of a Maori chief and his hapu doing hard labour and preserving at the same time their rank and authority. Tauroa probably feels himself a much greater chief than when he was with his followers at Patea ; for at present his sole will, exercised under restraint, is like the laws of the Medes and Persians to his people.

A North Island journal declares that Hokitika is the dirtiest town in New Zealand.

The "Timaru Herald" of the Ist inst. says : — " On Thursday afternoon a ground shark, about five feat in length, was caught by a bated hook from a schooner lying in the roadstead ; ana this flsa was brought on shore in the surf-boat, when it was opened, and no less than 34 young ones were taken out of it, besides the wooden handle of a hammer. The shark was cut up, and pieces of it thrown into the sea by boys who were playing near. Two or three other sharks — of the species known as the brown shark, or what sailors call the 'shovel-nose' — then made their appearance inside the reefs -in front of the Government landing shed, and one of then, variously estimated from 8 to 10 feet in length, came close in shore, and took the pieces of the ground shark thrown into the sea. It speedily devoured the whole of the shark, as well as the young ones, and Mr. Payne, of the Royal Hotel, theii threw into the water a quantity of beef and mutton which was tainted, and this was speedily taken. The shark was then only a few feet from the beach, and a retriever dog belonging to Mr. Mcc went in and caught hold of it by the fin, and afterwards by the tail, and was once dragged under water. By this time a large crowd had collected on the beach, and every person expected to see the dog devoured, but the shark had not sufficient water to turn over in to get at the dog, which was caught when it came to the edge of the surf and tied up. At one time a sea landed the shark quite out of the water, and it would have been secured, but the next wave released it, and it was seen swimming about until after dark. Several shots were fired at it from- a rifle, but they appeared to take no effect. The same day another shark was. caught on board another vessel in the roadstead, so that they are very numerous in the bay just now. Hooks have been prepared and baited on shore, and if any of the unpleasant monsters should again make their appearance near the beach, they are likely to be caught. "We trust the facts narrated above will prove sufficient warning to deter persons from bathing in the sea for the present. The Long Drive cleaning up on the 20th ult., after a fortnight's general crushing, together with a parcel of specimens, has given a return of 1414 ozs. of gold.

The Wellington correspondent of the " Westport Times " says :— " The rumour respecting the seat of Government being removed back to Auckland is again going round. Now that Wellington is no longer the port of call for the English mail steamers, the great argument in favour of its being the seat of G-overnment is removed. It is well-known that His Excellency, Lady Bo wen, and more than one of the Ministers, would gladly see tb,e change ; and, indeed, when once Auckland is in telegraphic communication

with the Middle Island, there will be no argument to use against its being the seat of Government. As a city it is certainly more fit to have that honour than Wellington, which has absolutely nothing but its harbour to recommend it." The additions made to St. Mary's Church, Timaru, are nearly completed. According to the lf Herald," the new portion of the building will be capable of seating nearly 200 people, and the total cost of the addition, will reach nearly £1400. The Timaru races are advertised for February, the 25th ; and the stakes range from £10 to £70. From our exchanges wo observe that the Canterbury Province has shared the late floods to no small extent, considerable damage having been done to the crops. Forestry at Timaru appears to be making rapid progress. On New Year's day the Brethren of Court Southern Cross marched in procession through the town, headed by the Timaru Brass Band, to the site of a new hall they are having built, when the ceremony of laying the foundation stone was gone through.